City was laying on the bleachers, waiting on Rachel to finish track practice. She always waited on her sister and they walked home together. Usually she read a book, but today she was doing homework and kicking her feet to the music blaring in her ears. Three more weeks, she told herself. Two for homework, three to be free. It was so close she could taste it! College was going to be her first time away from home, her first time on her own, her first time out of state. It felt like her life wasn't going to start until she got out of Missouri.
A hand on her arm made her jump and she yanked her earphones out to turn and look up. Dillon Alder was standing there, looking pale and terrified. He was a quiet boy, always kept to himself. Sometimes those mysterious types were sexy, but not Dillon. He was cute-ish, but he wasn't hot. He might have been more attractive if he weren't so creepy. He had been secretly voted most likely to shoot up the school.
City pulled her other earphone out and sat up, looking up at him and giving him her attention.
"Uhh... Hey Felicity. Umm. I was wondering if maybe you'd want to hang. Watch a movie?"
City blinked at him. No one asked for dates anymore, they flirted on snapchat until it became a thing. And Dillon? Yikes. Would he freak if she said no? She managed an awkward smile and looked up at him.
"Umm, how about you give me your snap? We can hit each other up and talk with..."
"I don't have that. I just... I thought maybe we could go eat, go to a movie? There's a new romantic comedy out with that dude every girl is so hot on..."
"Oh. Umm. Actually, you know what? We can go to a movie, but only if it's that new scifi movie with Katie Sackhoff."
"Seriously?" he asked, his face lighting up.
"Sure. Tonight or tomorrow?"
"Either, whatever night you aren't busy!"
"I'm never busy unless I am late turning in a library book," she laughed. "So you have a phone? Here, let me put my number in. There you go. Check showtimes and give me a call. K?"
"Sure, yeah!" he said excitedly. She had never seen him smile before, or so animated. She almost felt bad that she fully intended to blow him off when he called. Come up with a believable excuse. "So you like scifi? Really?" he asked.
She smiled and pulled the book she was currently reading out of her bag, showing him the cover.
"That's a great series! I love it! You know they are making it into a TV series?"
"Yeah, I hope they don't ruin it. I'm on my third reread of the series, I feel like they are family at this point. If the show ruins it, it will break my heart."
"Right?"
"Cool. I guess I will talk to you later then?" she asked, picking her geometry book back up.
"Yeah! Yeah, I will see you soon. Bye Felicity!"
"It's just City! Later!"
City had almost forgotten him when he called later, she was so engrossed in her book. "Yeah?" she answered the unfamiliar number.
"Hey! It's Dillon, I am here!"
"Here? I thought you were going to call me with a time?"
"Oh... I thought you said call when I was here?"
"I... I didn't even know you had my address?"
"We used to ride the same bus, remember?"
"Oh, yeah, I guess we did, but that was years ago. Elementary school."
"Yeah, I never forgot. So, movie starts soon. If we hurry we won't miss the trailers."
"Umm..." She wracked her brain, trying to think of an excuse, but he was right there outside her house in his car.
Shit.
She did NOT want to do this.
"I did the tickets online so we could just walk in when we got there. Felicity?" he asked.
"Umm, yeah, I am here Dillon. I... I thought you were going to call. My mom isn't feeling so great, I am not sure I should leave her here alone."
"Oh. Umm. Sure, yeah. I understand. No big. I will grab my little brother, he wanted to see it anyway."
"Sorry Dillon. I didn't have your number and I thought you would call sooner."
"Yeah. No. Got it, it's cool."
He hung up and City sighed. He'd sounded pissed and she felt terrible. Would a movie have been so bad?
Yes.
Dillon Alder creeped her out, no matter how nice he had seemed that afternoon.
~
Dillon sat in his car and watched her silhouette pacing across the window.
Lying cunt.
Her mom was at work, her car was gone and she worked nights at the ER. Her little sister was gone too, she'd gone to her friends house for the weekend.
Why had she cancelled? She'd said yes, she had smiled, they had things in common. Why had she lied?!?
She was another stuck up cunt, just like the other cunts at school.
~
City paced, looking down at her phone. Her finger was hovering over the callback symbol. One movie wouldn't be so bad? She would be leaving in three weeks. Spend the Summer with her dad, then heading to South Carolina. Two hours wouldn't kill her. She didn't want to be that girl who judged someone without knowing them at all. Two hours and she would be back home, getting ready for bed.
She hit the call button and put the phone to her ear. It rang in her ear just as the front door opened. She spun, surprised, and Dillon was standing there, glowering. His phone ringing in his back pocket.